


In Olden Days

by Akaiba



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gabriel is Loki, M/M, don't mind me as i mess around with norse mythology, mentions of sacrifices, sam is a viking, so is dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-18 00:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/873517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaiba/pseuds/Akaiba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sabriel Week Day 1<br/>Prompt Fill: General AU. Saym makes a deal with the god Loki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Olden Days

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't terribly imaginative but I liked the idea of it so hopefully someone else will too. :) It's probably been done before but my muse bit hard.

Day 1- General AU Day

Saym stared at the statue of Eir, his arms splattered with blood up to the elbows, dripping down his bare chest and pooling at his feet. As the moments span by his eyes narrowed and the brutalised, sacrificed goat at the feet of the statue was treated to two further, not ritualistic, stabbings before he hurled the plain dagger away in disgust. It clattered across the cold stone as he slumped to his knees, uncaring of the viscera on the floor. 

“That's the eighth goat you've sacrificed to Eir.” A voice pointed out blandly behind him. Saym didn't raise his head but his body did tense out of habit, ready for an attack. The finely honed skills of a warrior are not ones he would ever choose to lose nor ignore and the presence of an unknown person brought up his guard. The stranger did not sound close and made no move to get closer. 

“I wanted to earn her favour.” He said simply. He thought it obvious of his intentions, what with the slaughtered goat before him. 

“By sacrificing a goat?” The stranger laughed and Saym did turn then, the amusement grating against his already frayed nerves. He twisted his legs beneath him so he was crouched, eyeing the man who was hidden beneath a thick, furred cloak. “I do not think that would please Eir.” 

“It was all I had.” Saym fought not to think on how he had worked away endlessly to afford the goats in the first place and how he isn't sure how he will feed himself or his brother and father now. 

“You don't look injured... you seek her favour for someone else?”

Saym felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Everyone in the village knew about Daen's injuries. The pitying looks he had gotten since his father and brother returned were endless- everyone believing Daen would die soon. That this man did not know meant he was no simple traveller either. All in this region knew of the warrior Daen of clan Vinkester and news of his injuries had travelled fast. 

“Who are you?” 

“Someone who could help.” From beneath the hood Saym could see a broad smile. “If you wanted.” The stranger lifted his hand and in a flash Saym was upright, sword drawn from his belt and pointed at the man. Stood up, Saym noticed how small the stranger was. Saym easily towered over him but for some reason he did not feel any more at ease because of this. The man paused, seemingly amused at Saym's sword-drawn stance, before throwing back his hood. A youthful face peered up at Saym, angular nose, proud jaw and chin, dancing honey coloured eyes that spoke of ages and wisdom beyond Saym's comprehension. “You can call me Loki.” 

Saym swore under his breath and jumped back. “Trickster! The prince of lies.” Loki touched his cheek like a blushing maiden receiving a compliment. “I will strike no bargain with you.” 

Loki laughed and shook his head. “Your brother lies dying, Saym.” Saym tried not to flinch at the god's knowledge of his name. It was no surprise that he knew but it was still so unnatural beholding a god- even one such as Loki. “I could strike you both from this earth with little effort and yet here I stand offering you help.” 

“What would you have in return?” Saym was not going to be fooled. Tales of Loki's illusions and deceptions were taught to children to warn them and Saym would not have his own tale told for falling for such tricks. 

“Nothing.” Saym gave him an incredulous look. “Honestly, Saym-my. I do not want anything in return.”

“I don't believe you.”

“Then perhaps my gift in return shall be your better opinion of me.” Loki snapped his fingers, startling Saym who glared at the god's smug look. In his outstretched hand, a striped green and red candle appeared in Loki's palm. He offered it to Saym. “Light it by his bedside. Eir will see the flame from wherever she is and come to him.” At Saym's hesitance Loki sighed. “I swear to you. Look at it this way; what have you got to lose? Your goats don't seem to be earning her favour and your brother dies if you do nothing so...” Saym, at the mention of losing his brother, snatched the candle up in an instant. “There we go. You know, you're pretty uppity for a mortal. I could kill you, you know?”

“So you've said.” Saym replied drily, looking down at the candle he clutched tightly. 

Loki grinned. “What? No 'thank you'?”

“If it works, then yes. I will thank you.” Saym turned to leave, glanced back and said seriously, “If it does not work and I lose him... I will find a way to kill you.” 

Loki laughed hard, “Oh I would love to see that! Shame you won't need to. It'll work, Saym-my.” 

“My name is Saym. Only Daen gets to-” Loki vanished into the air and Saym sighed, biting against the frustration he felt at the self-important, trickster god. He practically ran home, rushing through the village market and to the small hut near the outer wall. With more hope than he dared allow himself he knelt at Daen's bedside. 

The bandages were doing little to slow the sluggish spill of blood that they couldn't halt. Whatever poultice the healers had tried were pungent but apparently useless, Daen's skin sallow and drawn. He looked already dead but for the stuttering breath drawn through his cracked lips. One of the tribes further south had been advancing, Daen hadn't hesitated in answering the call for battle and they had been victorious. But Daen had been stabbed in the back, the cowardly warrior losing his head to their father but not before Daen was already beyond their healing. 

Saym held the candle tightly before him. Against, his better judgement he closed his eyes and prayed, first to Loki, begging it not to be a trick, and then to Eir. He set the candle on the bedside table and lifted his flint from his belt pouch. Striking the candle it burst into flame, a crackling soft green light that cast Daen's face in an even worse light. 

Nothing happened. Saym told himself the goddess had to get to them first- had to see the light first. Then he told himself he had no knowing how the god's worked, how he had to trust that Loki spoke the truth, that Eir would help his brother and hope dearly that Loki was not going to cost him his brother. He slumped over the bed, head resting against Daen's hand, thinking if Daen had just let him go with them then he would never had let Daen get hurt. He was old enough, had trained enough. He cursed his brother until sleep claimed him and wondered what he would wake to. He found it ironic he was relying on the God of Lies to be telling the truth. 

\----

“Here we are.” Loki said with a flourish at the drab, plain home. Eir took her arm from Loki's and looked around them, her eyes falling to the two men, one close to death and the other awkwardly curled up at his side, half on the bed and half on the floor. The uninjured male was too tall and gangly to be sprawled on the floor like that but it seemed he would not be moved. 

“May I ask why this is so important you took me from Frigg's side? One dying mortal is hardly worth my time.” Clad in beautiful green robe, edged in red finery and a deep red belt she looked out of place in the wooden hut. Then again, most gods would. Her golden hair alone was probably worth more than the total of the objects in the home. Careful not to disturb the sleeping man, tall and broad enough to be suspected of Frost Giant blood in him, Eir looked over Daen. “You have plans for this mortal?”

“Not that one.” Loki waved at Saym as he poked through the small collection of pots and jars next to a heaving weapons rack. “That one.” 

“He is of special interest?” Eir could not recall any of the other gods expressing interest in that mortal. She busied herself with pressing a delicate hand to Daen's head. 

“Not really.” Loki watched her heal the human with mild interest, quietly remarking he could have done it much quicker with his angel powers but alas... He did not want to tell her his special interest in the mortal, did not want to draw attention to Saym unless someone tried to use Saym against him in the future. Saym had not cowered before him- had not attacked him either. Saym had simply looked back at Loki and the even gaze had been so refreshing Loki had wanted to see more of it. “He has my favour.” 

“Your favour?” Eir raised an eyebrow. “You never give mortals your favour.” 

Loki shrugged. “I don't think he would consider it a gift.” He grinned at her and she shook her head with a sigh. 

Daen's skin flushed with life slowly, a pink tinge to his cheeks and Loki could see his stomach knitting itself back together. When Eir finally drew back her hand Daen was completely healed. Loki held out his hand to Eir and led him from the house, promising her an enviable gift as payment for her generosity.

\-----

“So how about that thank you then?”

To Saym's credit, he doesn't drop the whetstone even as he jumps out of skin in alarm. He glares at the god smiling back at him. Unbidden, the trickster sits beside Saym on the steps outside their home and watches him sharpen his sword, patient enough to wait for Saym to respond. 

“Daen recovered.” Saym says softly. Daen was still weak but he'd sat up and eaten a weak broth and Saym couldn't put into words how relieved and grateful he was. 

“I know. I told you; I wasn't tricking you.” Loki focuses on Saym's face, forcing his brain not to think about brother's loved and lost or family at all. Saym's a curious enough mortal to keep Loki's interest from straying into dark thoughts as the man puzzles over his own thoughts. 

“And you still want nothing in return?” 

Loki grinned. “A thank you would be nice...”

Saym was silent for a long moment, frowning, and it seemed as though Loki's dogged request was going to be ignored before Saym spoke again. “...Thank you. For saving Daen's life.” 

“I didn't really.” Loki pointed out. “Eir did that. I helped you.”

Saym rolled his eyes. “Well thank you for helping me. Are you happy now?” 

“Yep. Oh, one more thing, Saym-my.” Before Saym could correct the nickname again Loki wrapped one hand around his right arm, below the shoulder, and Saym choked on a cry of pain. “There we go.”

Saym blinked through the fading haze of pain and looked down at his still aching arm, alarmed to see a thick, detailed tattoo of a snake coiled around his upper arm. It's head rested where Loki's hand had been, the ink an unnatural green as the body of the snake coiled around once with the snake's tail resting under its body beneath the head. “Wh-what... what did you do?!” Saym demanded. 

“I marked you.” Loki stood and grinned down at Saym. “I'm giving you one more gift- my favour.” 

“'Your fav'- I didn't ask for your favour!” Saym dropped his sword and rubbed at his sore skin, hoping to simply wipe it away. It stayed exactly where Loki had placed it. 

“I'm just generous like that.” Loki gave a mock bow. “And this you can return the favour for...” 

Too preoccupied with the new ink marking his body Saym did not resist as Loki tugged him down and pressed their lips together. He gave a gasp of surprise and Loki, as he should have expected, took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and thoroughly taste every inch of his mouth. Too shocked at the kiss- at its taboo nature and Loki's want of such a thing- Saym simply let him, unable to do anything else. The thought of biting him or pushing away crossed his mind but beneath the initial reaction of 'this is wrong' Saym found he didn't really mind the kiss. He didn't kiss back but he didn't stop it and that was as good as permission for Loki. 

Loki drew back and flashed a wide smile that reminded Saym of the jaws of a wolf- and Saym would do well to remember that Loki was a god, not a man. “Catch you later Saym-my.” Loki vanished and Saym decided Loki was allowed to call him that too.


End file.
